It’s been 10 years now that the Home and Outdoor Living Show has been hosted by the Caledonia Fair board, and things have only continued to evolve during that time.

On Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28, the 10th instalment of the show was held at the Exhibition Hall in Caledonia.

Nearly 50 vendors were in attendance to highlight their products and give locals ideas for the upcoming spring season.

“It’s a small committee that puts this event on, but we have about 30 volunteers,” said Vickie Peart, manager of the Caledonia Fair. “It takes a lot of people to run events; I think everyone is ready for a burst of spring this year.”

The event is hosted as an opportunity for local businesses to band together to promote their products, and to raise money for the Caledonia Fairgrounds.

“We’re hoping to get more recognition for the local businesses in town by bringing them all together like this,” said Mark Peart, co-organizer of the show. “There’s nothing else in town that does this.”

“It’s nice for local businesses to have a place to showcase,” Vickie said. “We view this as a hometown show.”

Vickie Peart says that the show hopes to raise $10,000 for the Caledonia Fairgrounds. The event also featured a Sip and Savour event on Friday night, which highlighted local breweries, wineries and restaurants.

“It’s a challenge to keep things fresh, but we do our best,” Vickie said. “It’s very good food, we were pleased.”

As a note, what’s become known as the Old Arena will be referred to as the Exhibition Hall moving forward.

“We needed to get away from it being called the Old Arena,” Vickie said. “We call it the Exhibition Hall so why not make that the name? It’s been 10 years now that the fairboard has operated the facility.”

A report on five federally operated elementary schools on Six Nations says Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada is not well suited to operate schools on reserve.

Findings of the report were presented to Six Nations elected council during a special meeting on Monday.

Michelle Sault, working on behalf of Aboriginal Affairs, analyzed the five federally run schools on Six Nations, which include Emily C. General, Jamieson, J.C. Hill, Oliver M. Smith and I.L Thomas. The study was requested by Six Nations elected council.

Results of the report were a year in the making. Sault used both qualitative and quantitative data, as well as a variety of focus groups that included students, parents and education professionals to come to her conclusions.

“We agree that it would be better run by the community, but it is what it is right now,” Six Nations elected band council Chief Ava Hill said in reaction to the report. “The federal government is responsible and instead of doing a shoddy job at it like they are, they should be accepting the responsibility that they have.”

Sault said that Six Nations elected council has shown a willingness to discuss options for local control over elementary school education through transfers of responsibility from the federal schools.

“I believe very strongly that in this community you are probably in an excellent position to populate a very educated, professional education board, for certain,” Sault said.

Two other options discussed were reporting to the Grand Erie District School Board or approaching the Six Nations Confederacy Council to collaborate on a decision.

In her report, Sault said that there is no clarity when it comes to ownership of infrastructure at the federal schools at the current time. Six Nations elected council says the buildings belong to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, which the organization has refuted.

Sault found that students coming from federally managed schools are not achieving desired outcomes upon entering non-federally run schools. Sault also said Six Nations schools are failing to meet provincial standards when it comes to EQAO testing.

Another finding was that bullying had become a major issue among both teachers and students, especially in the bus system. While the problem was one that angered many parents in attendance, Sault made clear this was not an issue unique to Six Nations.

“My review took place at the end of the school year and you would think by that time the routine would already be in place,” Sault said. “Despite that, there were some reports from parents and teachers that bullying is still occurring. It’s not an unknown phenomenon off of Six Nations.”

While Sault did highlight the numerous failings of the federally managed schools, she complimented staff at the schools for their work and the human resource base at each of the schools. She said that teachers have worked hard to make extra-curricular activities available.

Other findings included the special needs identification process improving during the last few years and a general dissatisfaction about professional development opportunities for teachers.

Although there were concerns about the number of non-native teachers in Six Nations schools, Sault said the results showed 85 per cent of teachers in the federally run schools were of native descent. She did acknowledge that those numbers did not take substitute teachers working in the area into consideration.

When the floor was opened up to parents and concerned citizens, there was a general dissatisfaction expressed about how the schools were run and what government officials planned to do moving forward.

Six Nations elected council, along with many of the parents in attendance, was generally dissatisfied with the lack of answers the report provided. Hill reminded people that the results would be useful moving forward.

“We need to take this and use it as a tool when we go back and prepare our argument for when we go back to the government,” Hill said.

As was expected of the series between the Caledonia Corvairs and the St. Catharines Falcons, things have been tightly contested.

With a road victory on Monday, the Corvairs took a 3-1 series lead, putting them within one win of a second-straight Sutherland Cup tournament berth.

The Sutherland Cup is a four-team tournament that determines the top junior B team in the province. The three teams that win their conference championships compete, as well as a fourth team that made their conference final and holds the best winning percentage throughout the playoffs.

It didn’t take long for the two teams to become reacquainted in game one, as tempers flared early and kept the nervous energy high throughout the game. In the end, it was Jake Brown who made the difference, scoring the first goal of the night as well as the overtime winner to give Caledonia the 4-3 win.

Game two was just as close with the Falcons taking a 2-1 lead with 15 minutes left in the third. The Corvairs top line proved again to be the best in the league, with Erick Delaurentis tying the game with nine minutes to go. With just over a minute to go, Tyler Lepore put one past Ben Csiernik to secure the win.

For game three, the series returned to Caledonia and this time the Falcons wouldn’t be denied. In what has become a playoff tradition between the two rivals, they played deep into a second overtime.

Despite outshooting the Falcons 65-36, it was St. Catharines that came out victorious. Tyler Morrison, the Golden Horseshoe Conference league leader in points during the regular season, netted a goal from Brandon Cercone and Broderick Kelly 13 minutes into double overtime, cutting the Caledonia series lead to 2-1.

In game four, the Corvairs were able to get back to their winning ways, taking another competitive 4-3 victory. The Corvairs fell behind 3-1 just 29 seconds into the third period, but three straight goals in the span of seven minutes put the Corvairs in the lead and they never looked back.

The nearly 1000 people in attendance during Corvairs home games couldn’t let the memories of years gone by go easily as the drawn-out, mocking chants of Kelly, aimed at Falcons captain Broderick Kelly, filled the arena throughout both of the home games.

Kelly has been a thorn in the side of the Corvairs since the 2011-2012 season, and has only improved since spending time with Brock University and the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs.

During a game three marathon in the 2014 Sutherland Cup finals, Kelly netted a goal that kept the Falcons in the series, which Corvairs fans have yet to forgive him for.

Despite this, the Falcons have a tall task ahead of them heading into game five against the Corvairs, who will be looking to finish the Falcons on home ice in five games, as they did in last year’s Golden Horseshoe Championship final.

The sporting community in Caledonia has lost one of its most beloved figures.

Surrounded by his family in his Caledonia home, Don Winfield passed away on March 10.

“Don was a family man and a great father,” said family friend Gord Parker. “He was basically an all-around good person that you wanted to be around all the time.”

Don Winfield was an integral part of the sporting community in Haldimand County for over three decades. He coached, participated in and volunteered with baseball and hockey tournaments in the area, giving young people an opportunity to compete in organized sports.

“When we were younger, when I first met him, he was into hockey with young kids,” said Chris Winfield, Don’s wife. “He couldn’t skate worth a damn, but he was out there with the kids teaching them hockey.”

In talking with the people who were near him, it became clear that Winfield was a man who will be remembered for his perseverance and desire to help others.

“He helped more people than we could ever help him back,” said Parker. “That’s really what I’d like to say about him. I’m tearing up now just talking about him.”

Winfield’s claim to fame was his world record amount of kidney stones passed.

His wife, Chris Winfield, says that he passed 8,637 kidney stones in his lifetime.

Although Winfield never received a clear explanation as to why he continued to produce kidney stones throughout his life, doctors at the Mayo did shed some light on the subject.

“He started producing them in 1986 while doing a seminar with teachers on child abuse,” Chris Winfield said. “At first he thought it was food poisoning, but the pain just kept getting worse and worse. He had gone down to the Mayo Clinic because they couldn’t find out the reason in Canada. All they could come up with was that he had an anaerobic infection as a baby.”

“I met Donny (Winfield) in 1980,” said Parked. “ Even then he had a morphine pump on the side of his body to stop the pain. Between games we’d run into the parking lot where the kids couldn’t see so he could give himself a boost of morphine to stop the pain. That’s the type of guy he was, he was always there for the kids.”

While Parker’s health continued to fail in the 2000s, Parker and others helped to institute the Don Winfield three-pitch tournament, held at Hennig Park. The goal of the tournament was to raise funds for Winfield to pay for the many products that go with dealing with his ailments.

“It just helped to subsidize his medical expenses,” Parker said. “Even something like special socks he needed or a walker or a wheelchair or anything, it’s just astronomical the things he had bills for.”

“One year was $6000, one year was $4000,” Chris Winfield said. “It was enough to get us over the winter with the things we couldn’t pay for, over-the-counter creams and pills so his legs would not split. That was started and eventually it bought special chairs for him and a scooter for him to get around with.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to Whippet Rescue Ontario (whipresont@gmail.com or 613-920-3864) or The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

The average residential taxpayer living in Haldimand County can expect to see a 2.69 per cent increase in property tax rates this year.

Going into the operating budget meeting on March 26, council faced a 3.82 per cent increase in tax rates– slightly more than the 2.5 per cent council had agreed to in December.

But as Haldimand’s chief financial officer Karen General pointed out, the county faced some big challenges in trying to meet that 2.5 per cent guideline.

While the county saw a $695,000 savings in policing costs this year, the municipality still had to deal with a $550,770 increase in the capital levy, $292,000 cost for waste management and an $863,500 reduction in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) grant.

“We’re seeing a significant reduction in what we’re getting from the province, and that reduction will continue next year,” General said.

This initially brought the proposed tax rate increase to 3.82 per cent, but staff had an idea that could help relieve that impact.

Over the last five years, the county had seen an average Haldimand Hydro dividend of about $650,000 a year, which was used towards the capital reserve.

“For 2015, we budgeted $0 as a dividend because of the pending sale,” General said.

But the county did earn a dividend this year. Staff said under the normal process, the county would have received about $780,000 in dividends this year, but as part of the approved sale agreement, that money was rolled into the total sale price of Haldimand Hydro.

Now that the sale has received Ontario Energy Board approval, staff recommended using $650,000 of the interest earned from the proceeds of the Haldimand Hydro sale to go towards the levy.

General estimates that by putting the $65.2-million proceeds into a long-term investment plan, it could generate between $2.2 million to $3.8 million in annual interest.

“Financially, it’s logical to us to use $650,000 of that annual interest income to offset the dividend that we’re not getting anymore,” General said.

Staff said that this would leave the $65.2-million principle untouched, as well as significant dollars from the interest still available.

The suggestion led to mixed emotions among council members with some members struggling with the tax rate increase and how, if at all, to mitigate it.

Mayor Ken Hewittchampioned the idea of using $750,000 of the interest earned from the hydro proceeds to go towards the levy. He reasoned that $750,000 was closer to the $780,000 dividend the county earned but didn’t receive.

“I certainly have no appetite for a four per cent (tax rate) increase,” said Corbett, adding that he doesn’t see why the county couldn’t use the interest earned from the proceeds of the hydro sale because they’ve done it in the past with the dividends.

But not everyone was convinced about tapping into the interest.

“I do have sympathy for residents across the county,” said Coun. Fred Morison, but he added that a small decrease in the tax rate isn’t going to translate to big savings in dollars to the taxpayer.

Morison, along with Coun. Leroy Bartlett, made note that while there are real dividends today, there will be no dividends next year, and they’re concerned the county would go on a spending spree and continue to use more of the interest earned from the proceeds of the hydro sale every year.

“I don’t have a problem with paying the four per cent (tax rate increase),” said Coun. Rob Shirton, who agreed with Morison and Bartlett. “Do I like it? No. But I don’t have a problem with it.”

The decision to use $750,000 to offset the levy narrowly passes 4-3 at the Committee of the Whole meeting. Using $750,000 towards the levy dropped the tax rate increase from 3.82 per cent to 2.69 per cent. This decision saved the average residential taxpayer about $33 a year, or about $2.75 a month.

While council members were divided at the budget meeting, most came together at the council meeting to ratify the budget 6-1.

Bartlett said he’s voting against the budget because he felt council went through the meeting without trying to find savings other than using the interest earned from the hydro proceeds.

It was a comment that some council members disagreed with including Corbett and Hewitt, who said that some of the motions dealing will requests for more staff positions weren’t approved unanimously.

“The process was very wide open, and the process gave council every opportunity to take things out (of the budget),” Hewitt said.

After a full day of debate on March 26, council approved a tax levy of $57.4 million – a 4.33 per cent increase from last year’s levy of $55 million.

The operating budget revolved mostly around salaries, and council approved adding about 13 full time equivalent positions to the payroll.

This includes hiring an additional full time bylaw enforcement officer, a full time supervisor for capital projects, additional personal support workers at Grandview Lodge, as well as maintenance staff who will take care of the Caledonia Kinsmen Park and pool and the Hagersville cemetery and trails.

Council approved all of the positions, as well as a budget of about $34.7 million to cover salaries, wages and benefits for all 435.14 FTE, as well as volunteer firefighters and council members.

That was the main message of an information session put on by Tammy Carpenter, a sales representative with ReMax Riverside Realty Inc., Jame Grabham, a mortgage planner with Mortgage Architects, Chuck Gibbons, owner of True Blue Inspections, and Mike Lessard, associate financial advisor with Peter Dieleman and Associates Inc. of the Co-Operators.

“How often do you spend over a quarter of a million dollars in one pop?” Carpenter asked during her portion of the presentation when underscoring the importance of being fully informed throughout the process.

“The average buyer looks at about eight houses before they make a purchase. Some look at as many as 20,” Carpenter said.

“Realtors will network together to sell your home,” she said, adding that it is in a realtor’s best interest to find the right home for their clients.

“If you’re selling your home on your own, your inventory is one house.”

She noted that realtors are educated to read through the legal documents associated with buying and selling a home.

“If you decide to buy or sell on your own, you would have to find a lawyer. The cost of a lawyer can add up significantly, and they might not have the availability you need.”

Another consideration is that if the person on the other side of the transaction has a lawyer but you do not, you open yourself up to risk, because the lawyer is legally obligated to protect their client’s interests, not yours.

Protecting his clients’ interests is Grabham’s focus as a mortgage planner.

“More than 30 per cent of Canadians don’t use banks for their mortgage,” he said. “Banks can only sell you their products. We have a range of lenders we can access.”

Different lenders might offer different interest rates, terms, etc., which means that it is easier to find a mortgage tailored to a client’s particular needs.

“Rate is important, but so are the other options,” Grabham said.

While some may be concerned about the cost of his services, he explained that most of the time, the client does not pay him, but instead it’s the lender who the client choses who gives him his compensation.

The amount he is paid is the same regardless of which lender a client goes with, so there is no danger of him favouring one lender over another when presenting options to a client.

Similarly, Gibbons offers an impartial, third party evaluation of a home as a house inspector.

“I inspect every house the same way for everyone, because it’s my name on the line,” he said.

He stressed that his role is not to make sure a house is up to code, but instead, he checks for issues such as moisture, cracks in the foundation, etc. “Water intrusion is the main issue home inspectors look for,” he said. “It prevents surprises when you move in.”

He is also able to check for allergens, such as pet dander.

A growing trend in the industry is for a pre-listing home inspection.

“As a seller, you’ll know what the buyer will know, and when you’re buying, (a home inspection) gives you a better understanding of the house.”

Gibbons gave four main tips to anyone considering a pre-listing house inspection.

The first was to de-clutter, because it will ensure that everything is able to be seen.

Second, extend downspouts away from the foundation of the house. This is something everyone should do, as it helps to protect the foundation.

Third, make sure that any do-it-yourself projects on the house are done well.

And finally, multiple dehumidifiers running in a house is a red flag to a home inspector that there might be moisture problems.

While the hope is that when a family moves into a home there won’t be any issues, that isn’t always the case.

Lessard noted that there are three main instances that could financially hurt a person if they own a home; these are if a person becomes unable to pay the mortgage, property damage or loss, or being sued.

“Situations can come up that can make it difficult, or even impossible, to make your mortgage payment,” he said.

Basing a mortgage on a couple’s combined income will allow them access to a larger sum of money, but it also makes it more difficult if the household goes to one income, through death, illness, etc.

One way to ensure ongoing provision in spite of circumstance is by getting insurance, but not all insurance is the same.

Lessard explained that with insurance from the bank, the institution, not the individual, owns the coverage. That means that if a payment of insurance is necessary, it will be the bank getting the money, not the individual or their benefactors.

That also means that the bank can opt to cancel or change the terms.

“Term insurance is often a little bit more money, and can be harder to qualify for,” Lessard said. However, it ensures that the money goes to the individual or their benefactors to use as they see fit.

Property insurance policies, in the event of floods, fires, theft, etc. can differ as well.

Specified risk policies, sometimes called broad coverage, means that only the instances specifically outlined in the policy are covered.

On the other hand, all risk policies, or comprehensive coverage, has more general terms and a wider range of coverage. The coverage is also usually for more money.

Another thing people should check for is whether or not they have bylaw coverage.

“So, if you lost your house and had to rebuild it, it would have to be built to the current code. That could be a lot of money,” Lessard said.

Finally, he stressed that if a person is served papers, they should inform their insurance company.

“Part of your home insurance policy covers your liability,” he said.

He suggested that everyone take a few minutes to review their insurance policies on a regular basis.

“Cheaper isn’t always better. You want to make sure you have the coverage you need.”

The next homeowners seminar is scheduled for May 9. The location is yet to be determined, but it will be held in Haldimand.

Dunnville resident Sig Rose is hoping Haldimand County council reconsiders its decision to decommission the Byng fire station.

“I, along with many others, including 1,300 people who have signed this petition, believe that station 10 (in Byng) needs to stay open,” Rose said to council at the March 24 committee meeting.

Rose wasn’t on the agenda to speak, but council allowed him to anyways – a decision that later resulted in Mayor Ken Hewitt crumpling up a five-page letter from the Coalition of Firefighters in Haldimand County.

Since the letter had no signatures from individual firefighters, Hewitt called it “meaningless,” causing a stir in the gallery as he threw the letter on the floor.

“That letter is absolutely useless. I have no use for it whatsoever,” Hewitt said.

While there was no name attached to the correspondence, the letter attempted to illustrate the constraints firefighters say they’re experiencing because of the decisions that stemmed from 2013’s fire station rationalization study – namely the decision to close the Moulton fire station in 2013 and the Byng station later this year.

“The firefighters are working at their max… They are suffering from manpower shortages, drawing on trucks and equipment within the districts throughout the county as well as Wainfleet,” the letter stated. “We feel that the safety of the firefighters and the public have been put on the backburner with the planned closing of the Byng fire station.”

The coalition suggested keeping station 10 in Byng open, and amalgamating station 11 in South Haldimand with station 12 in Fisherville.

While the letter from the Coalition of Firefighters was just a small part of Rose’s presentation, the correspondence turned out to be a big cause of tension at the council table.

Rose later said that submitting the letter was simply him passing a message on to council.

“I don’t know anything about this organization, whether it is an active group within the county or if it was some individual who just wanted to vent,” Rose said. “I simply passed it on as I was asked to do. It did seem to contain some valid information. I have to say that I was quite surprised and disgusted at Mayor Hewitt’s comments and actions when he crumpled up the letter and threw it to the floor.”

Rose said he came to council because he was concerned that with the Byng fire station closing, it would put added pressure on the new South Haldimand station, which is slated to finish construction this year.

“I have a very real concern that if there are not enough personnel at (the new South Haldimand station), those that are there will soon be burned out from having to share a greater work load among fewer people,” Rose said.

He also feels that with the Byng station closing, Dunnville would lose its backup station creating a void for residents who live on the south side of the Dunnville bridge.

Backed up by his own statistics on the fire halls, Rose presented to council what he felt was a fair argument for keeping the Byng fire station open.

“I am concerned that this county has made a mistake. Every level of government makes mistakes,” Rose said after the presentation. “Is it too much to ask that they reconsider closing Byng station?”

Just two days after the committee meeting, council dealt with a staff report at the operating budget meeting that recommended selling the Byng fire hall building after the new South Haldimand fire station is constructed.

But given the sensitivity of the issue, Coun. Rob Shirton wanted to see that decision put off.

“Somebody else could potentially have a use for (the building), and I just don’t want to get it up on the market and sell it right away until we look at options for this hall,” said Shirton, adding that he wants to defer the item until after the fire hall is decommissioned.

Don Boyle, Haldimand’s chief administrative officer, suggested the county put a call out to groups interested in taking over the building.

“The county perspective is we need to get out of as many buildings as we can. We need to leave assets,” Boyle said. “But if there’s community groups who are interested in it and want to take it over, then put out a call for proposal saying here’s an opportunity.”

Hewitt said council’s decision to amalgamate the Byng and South Haldimand fire halls has not changed, and decommissioning the Byng fire station is a done deal.

“The reality is the hall is not going to be used as a fire station and that’s starting to sink in with the local public,” Hewitt said. “So now, I think it’s important to make it clear to the public that if there’s an opportunity to use that hall for another purpose then now is the time to make that known.”

Council agreed to put off deciding what to do with the Byng fire hall structure until the Aug. 25 committee meeting – after the fire hall is decommissioned.

In 2013, the county conducted a fire station rationalization study, putting all of the fire halls in the county under the microscope. In March of that year, council decided to close down station 8 in Moulton, as well as amalgamate station 10 in Byng with station 11 in South Haldimand. They later chose to build the new South Haldimand station adjacent to where station 11 is now.

Moulton was the first hall to close its doors in May 2013, and council agreed to lease out the building to Northshore Medical Transport Inc. – a patient transfer business based out of Lowbanks.

Sometimes the most important thing is figuring out what the most important thing is.

John Edelman was the keynote speaker at the Glanbrook Community Awards on March 24. He spoke on the importance of reframing distraction as direction in business and in life.

John and his wife, Arda, opened Haldimand Motors Ltd. in 1984. The business started on one acre, with a two-bay shop and six cars. Today, the business is on 20 acres, with a 130-bay shop and an average of 600 cars in stock.

John is the past president of the Cayuga & District Chamber of Commerce, and the current vice president of the organization.

When the couple started the business, they had no children; now, they have four married children and a total of nine grandchildren.

“Growth and community is definitely a part of their lifestyle,” said Len Offless, general manager of the Glanbrook Gazette, as he introduced John at the awards banquet.

John began by saying that when he was young, he had a newspaper route. He would deliver papers, and then come home to watch TV. Most days, before the show’s end, his mom would tell him that he had to clean up his room.

“I saw it as a distraction from what I wanted to do, but she was giving me direction. She wanted to teach me responsibility.”

Years later, when he and Arda had their children, they wanted to teach them about business.

“We bought them a candy machine, and lent them the money for the initial inventory.”

Soon it became apparent that the candy machine, while a tool in teaching their children business, was also going to be another distraction.

“I had to take them to the store to buy more candy to refill the machine,” John said. He took his children to the store rather than just picking up supplies for them on the way home from work because, “I wanted them to understand the whole process.”

Whether it’s work or home obligations, “life has a lot of distractions,” he said.

When distractions arise, “get back to your core values. Get back to what you base your life on. For me, that’s my faith,” said John.

To illustrate this, he spoke of a time in the Edelman family that was “one of the worst distractions in our lives.”

About 14 years ago, Arda suffered a stroke and as a result lost her vision.

Doctors in Canada told them that she would never see again. Unwilling to accept this, they contacted a university hospital in the USA that was conducting a study on stroke-related vision loss.

They were invited to come to the facility, but after another bout of testing, the couple was given the same diagnosis: the nerve damage in Arda’s eyes was too extensive, and she would never be able to see again.

“We got out of there and had a good cry,” John said. “I was mad at everything in life.”

About two weeks after their trip to the USA, they were approached by someone wanting to buy their business.

This had happened before, but the buyer had always wanted John to remain on staff as part of the sale; this time, the buyer didn’t.

The offer being made would have been more than enough for them to live on for the rest of their lives.
“I said I thought we should take the deal. Then Arda, who was in total darkness, said, ‘John, if we’re only about the money, we’d be fools not to take the deal.’”

That moment was the turning point for them; they decided that they were not, and never would be, about the money.

“Our goal in this business is to make a difference in the lives of our employees, and to make a difference in our community. We did not allow the distraction to hold us back,” John said.

Six months later, Arda thought she was starting to regain her vision. Her mom took her to a specialist, and they found that about five per cent of the nerves in her eyes had healed. Her vision now is such that she is even able to drive.

“There’s limitations there, but we’re blessed beyond measure,” John said. “I believe we went to the States to prove that a miracle can happen.”

He encouraged those at the event to reframe challenging situations “even if there is no miracle at the end. Get back to your true north.”

]]>http://www.sachem.ca/news/haldimand-motors-owner-keynote-speaker-at-glanbrook-community-awards/feed/0Supsicious fire in New Credithttp://www.sachem.ca/news/22161/
http://www.sachem.ca/news/22161/#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 16:00:51 +0000tbottinghttp://www.sachem.ca/?p=22161A suspicious fire in New Credit is being investigated by the OPP and the Office of the Fire Marshal.

On Thursday, March 26 at 10:39 p.m., the Haldimand County Fire Department responded to a residence on Ojibway Rd. in Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.

The fire was extinguished but not before excessive damage was done to the home. No one was at the home, and no one was injured during the fire.

Due to the fire and damage, the office of the Fire Marshal and OPP are investigating to determine a cause, which appears to be suspicious in nature.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1 – 888 – 310 -1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1 – 800 – 222 – TIPS (8477) or leave an anonymous online message at www.helpsolvecrime.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2000.

It’s said that Canada has two seasons, winter and construction; Binbrook residents will soon be getting a dose of the second with the reconstruction of Highway 56.

City of Hamilton staff held a public meeting on Wednesday, March 25 to give residents and businesses along the road an idea of what to expect when work gets underway this June, and what the finished product will look like.

When the project is completed, there will be one lane of traffic in each direction as well as a continuous centre turning lane from Southbrook Dr. to Cemetery Rd. There will also be bike lanes on both sides, and urban braille sidewalks on both sides. Decorative street lighting will be installed.

There will be new traffic signals put in at Southbrook Dr., and an upgraded signal is being installed at Binbrook Rd.

“All new lights are operated through video cameras and radio signals from a main control room,” said David Ferguson, superintendent of traffic engineering with the city.

“That means it will help traffic run smoother,” said Brenda Johnson, ward 11 city councilor.

Pedestrian crossings will be put in between Southbrook and Viking Drs. at the large road culvert. There will also be one installed at Library Lane.

Boulevards will be used where needed, such as to avoid relocating utilities or trees.

Underground, there will be new infrastructure: a storm sewer, a sanitary sewer, a watermain, and a sanitary forcemain. The existing cross culverts will remain.

The work will mean that residents living on Highway 56 will have the option to hook into city water and sanitary service. Residents were given an estimated cost to connect before the meeting; the actual cost will be available after the project has gone through the tendering process.

“You do not pay unless you hook up,” Johnson said.

The only instance where a resident would be obligated to pay at the onset of construction as opposed to once they are hooked up is if they wanted more than one water and sanitary line.

Residents have several payment options available. They can pay the full charge at once, pay a partial amount and have the balance added to their municipal tax bill as annual installments paid with interest, or the full amount can be added to the municipal tax bill as annual installments paid with interest.

One 150 millimeter sanitary connection and one 20 millimeter water service connection is the standard option available. To connect, a resident must apply for a sewer and/ or water permit, and it is the responsibility of the homeowner to connect the sewer lateral and water service from the property line to their home at their own time and cost.

Residents may request a preferred location for their lines until May 15. The water and sanitary lines must be at least 2.5 meters apart from each other.

The project will be done in phases.

The first phase will be from Southbrook Dr. to Library Lane; work will begin in June 2015, and is expected to continue until December.

The second phase will encompass Library Lane to Cemetery Road.

The two phases are being put to tender separately, as opposed to the whole project at once.

“If we go for a tender that big, it will mean a bigger cost, and fewer contractors will be able to bid on it, meaning it could result in a higher cost,” said Susan Jacobs, manager of design and engineering servicing with the City of Hamilton.

Throughout the entire project, though, the goal is to keep foot and road traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

“For most of the construction, we expect to be able to keep one lane in each direction moving. If we do have to use flagging, we will try to do it after the traffic’s peak hours,” Ferguson said. He added that they will also try to keep at least one sidewalk accessible throughout.

While Larry Murphy, owner of Armstrong’s Pet and Garden Center in Binbrook, is sure that the construction will affect his business to some extent, “it has to. You can’t have progress without some inconvenience.”

Currently, the business has a well and a septic bed.

“The biggest advantage (of connecting to city services) would be if we wanted to expand the business,” he said. “I’m still debating it.”

Elaine Boothman, acting president of Binbrook Little Theatre, came to the meeting as a concerned tenant. The theatre troupe rents space in Binbrook Memorial Hall.

“Our main concern was access to our facility, especially on show nights,” she said. “If people know there is construction in town, they may be hesitant to buy tickets.”

She added that after speaking with staff and hearing that they are putting a priority on maintaining access to all businesses and residences along Highway 56 throughout the project, she feels much more secure about the theatre’s upcoming season.